%A YANG Yang, SUN Ling, ZHANG Hongchuan, HUANG Silin, ZHU Xiao %T Allosatic load and its relationship with socioeconomic health disparities %0 Journal Article %D 2018 %J Advances in Psychological Science %R 10.3724/SP.J.1042.2018.01475 %P 1475-1487 %V 26 %N 8 %U {https://journal.psych.ac.cn/adps/CN/abstract/article_4408.shtml} %8 2018-08-15 %X

Individuals with lower socioeconomic status (SES) are exposed to more stressful events but have less coping resources compared to those on higher ranks. They are hence more prone to a variety of diseases from the fetus to the elderly. Allostatic load (AL) provides an effective index to such cumulative effect of chronic stress on interconnected biological systems. Research revealed that AL is sensitive to changes in SES. The moderating and mediating factors between SES and AL include environmental risks, social support, psychological characteristics and life style. We propose that investigations on AL may shed light into understanding and intervention of disadvantaged populations in China.